Misplaced Pages

#300699

79-644: Octavius V. Catto and Jacob C. White , two graduates from the Institute for Colored Youth , believed baseball was another way in which African Americans could assert their skills and independence, and prove their right to full citizenship and equality. Incidentally the two had originally played cricket at the institute, but switched to baseball for an unknown reason. They had been childhood friends and they emerged as prominent figures in Philadelphia's African American community. Catto injected himself into local politics with

158-466: A Philadelphia streetcar helped establish the new law in practice. Catto's crusade for equal rights was capped in March 1869, when Pennsylvania voted to ratify the 15th Amendment , which prohibited discrimination against citizens in registration and voting based on race, color or prior condition; effectively, it provided suffrage to black men. (No women then had the vote.) It was fully ratified in 1870. Catto

237-571: A baseball diamond. In September 1869, the Pythians played against the all white Olympics; likely the first recorded instance of an interracial baseball game. Although the Pythians lost 44–23, the September 4th edition of the Philadelphia Inquirer covered the game inning for inning, noting the skill of the Pythians as well as the large size of the crowd. A few days later the Pythians played and beat

316-506: A company of black volunteers for the state's defense; their help, however, was refused by the staff of Major General Darius N. Couch on the grounds that the men were not authorized to fight. (Couch was later reprimanded by US Secretary of War Edwin M. Stanton , but not until the aspiring soldiers had returned to Philadelphia.) Acting with Douglass and the Union League , Catto helped raise eleven regiments of United States Colored Troops in

395-403: A formalized challenge system developed whereby the championship, symbolized by a "pennant", would change hands upon the defeat of the existing champion in a two out of three series. Such "series" could actually occur over several weeks or months, with games against other clubs played in between, so the format does not closely resemble the modern World Series in determining baseball's champion. But

474-479: A long-cherished wish to have erected there a monument to Prof. Octavius V. Catto, one of their race, who was killed in an election day riot in that city twenty-six years ago. He was long an instructor in the Institute for Colored Youth, and the plan is to erect a mausoleum , and that the work be done by the pupils of the school as far as possible. An annual remembrance ceremony was initiated in 1995. On June 14, 2006,

553-456: A national game. In addition, the parallel civilian NABBP, as its governing body, expanded into a true national organization, although most of the strongest clubs remained those based in New York City , Brooklyn and Philadelphia. By the end of 1865, almost 100 clubs were members of the "National Association" organization. By 1867, it had over 400 members, including some clubs from as far away as

632-409: A series was limited to a season; one win in one or two games did not carry over to next spring. Without a regular schedule of games, neither the number of wins nor winning percentage necessarily indicates team strength, much less identifies the best team or a credible champion. A challenge format makes sense for that purpose, and it fits the convention whereby contestants meet on the field with money or

711-627: A student at ICY, Catto presented papers and took part in scholarly discussions at "a young men's instruction society". Led by fellow ICY student Jacob C. White Jr. , they met weekly at the ICY. Catto graduated from ICY in 1858, winning praise from principal Ebenezer Bassett for "outstanding scholarly work, great energy, and perseverance in school matters." Catto did a year of post-graduate study, including private tutoring in both Greek and Latin, in Washington, D. C. In 1859, he returned to Philadelphia, where he

790-461: A top cricket and baseball player in 19th-century Philadelphia , Pennsylvania . A Republican, he was shot and killed in election-day violence in Philadelphia, where ethnic Irish of the Democratic Party , who were anti- Reconstruction and had opposed black suffrage, attacked black men to prevent their voting. Octavius Catto was born free. His mother Sarah Isabella Cain was a free member of

869-542: A trophy at stake. A trophy base ball, provided by the home club and used in the game, was commonly at stake; the pennant provided by the Association was a second trophy at stake in some games. Unfortunately, the strongest team in a given year did not always have an opportunity to play for the championship, as the strongest boxer or chess player may annually have an opportunity in the challenge formats that developed in those sports. Indeed, in several NABBP seasons it appears that

SECTION 10

#1732873543301

948-456: A twelve-foot bronze statue of Catto, was installed at Philadelphia's City Hall on September 24, 2017, and dedicated on September 26, 2017. The sculptor is Branly Cadet . It is the first public monument in Philadelphia to honor a specific African American. National Association of Base Ball Players The National Association of Base Ball Players ( NABBP ) was the first organization governing American baseball (spelled as two words in

1027-495: Is at least unjust to allow a blind and ignorant prejudice to so far disregard the choice of parents and the will of the colored tax-payers, as to appoint over colored children white teachers, whose intelligence and success, measured by the fruits of their labors, could neither obtain nor secure for them positions which we know would be more congenial to their tastes. Catto also spoke of the Civil War , then in progress. He believed that

1106-534: Is no reliable enumeration of the members from 1868 to 1870. The 1857 Atlantic Club of Brooklyn and the 1858 Mutual Club of New York appear to have been recognized as the best clubs of these respective seasons, but scheduling was insufficient overall between New York City and Brooklyn clubs to establish a definitive champion . In 1859, though, Atlantic did emerge as decisive champions of baseball with an overall record of 11 wins and 1 loss and series victories over both Eckford of Brooklyn and Mutual. Thereafter,

1185-478: Is not creditable to us. Something ought to be done in the matter. I believe almost everybody would give something toward getting a stone. I am the publisher of his life, and am prepared to speak in regard to the interest taken by all classes of people. (Wallace 1878) Some twenty years later, the New York Times reported: Many Negro citizens of Philadelphia are now endeavoring to have carried into speedy execution

1264-583: Is the only surviving team from the old NABBP. The current Cincinnati Reds claim the Cincinnati Red Stockings lineage as baseball's first fully professional team; however, the modern Reds didn't start play (in the old American Association ) until 1882, twelve years after the old Red Stockings folded. Much of the Cincinnati team, including their ownership, started a new team in Boston in 1871 that became

1343-774: The American Civil War (1861–1865), the beginnings of baseball competed for public interest with cricket and regional variants of baseball, notably town ball played in Philadelphia and the Massachusetts Game played in New England . In the 1860s, aided by the War, "New York" style baseball (as often played by Union Army troops passing the uneventful days of camp life between occasional skirmishes and battles) expanded through various corps, regiments, brigades, and other units into

1422-587: The Excelsior club of Brooklyn , received compensation, either secretly or through emoluments. In 1866, the NABBP investigated the Athletic club of Philadelphia for paying three players, including Lip Pike , but took no action against either the club or the players. However, as inter-club competition became more intense and clubs sought to secure the services of the best players, unofficial payments became common. To maintain

1501-410: The New York Times ran a story discussing the civil disobedience tactics employed by Catto as he fought for civil rights: Philadelphia, Wednesday, May 17—2 P. M. Last evening a colored man got into a Pine-street passenger car, and refused all entreaties to leave the car, where his presence appeared to be not desired. The conductor of the car, fearful of being fined for ejecting him, as was done by

1580-643: The Pacific Ocean west coast in San Francisco and south to the Gulf of Mexico coast in Louisiana . Because of this growth, regional and state organizations began to assume a more prominent role in the governance of the sport. Baseball's exploding popularity, however, was not confined to the NABBP organization, whose core lay in the vicinity of New York City; there were thousands of organized baseball clubs nationwide by 1870,

1659-466: The Pythian Base Ball Club of Philadelphia. The Pythians had an undefeated season in 1867. Following the 1867 season, Catto, with support from players from the white Athletic Base Ball Club, applied for the Pythians' admission into the newly formed Pennsylvania Base Ball Association. As it became clear that they would lose any vote by the Association, they withdrew their application. In 1869,

SECTION 20

#1732873543301

1738-566: The 19th century). The first convention of 16 New York City area clubs was held at Smith's Hotel, 462 Broome Street in January 1857. One delegate from each club had previously been assigned to a committee, whose task was to draw up a set of regulations governing the game. Their report was adopted at the final meeting of the convention on February 25, effectively bringing to an end the Knickerbocker era , when games were played under rules largely at

1817-605: The Board of Trustees of the O. V. Catto Memorial announced the kickoff of a $ 1.5 million fundraising campaign to erect a memorial statue to Catto. The Abraham Lincoln Foundation made the first contribution of $ 25,000. On October 10, 2007, the 136th anniversary of Catto's death, the Octavius V. Catto Memorial Fund erected a headstone at Catto's burial site at Eden Cemetery in Collingdale, Pennsylvania . On July 26, 2011, to commemorate his life,

1896-618: The December 1865 meeting attracted triple the membership with scattered clubs from Chattanooga, Tennessee to Fort Leavenworth , Kansas. During the next three seasons, the National Association "filled" with clubs further west from St Louis and Iowa to the northeast in Boston and Maine . By 1867 there were too many delegates to handle in convention, so membership via state associations was introduced for 1868 and, perhaps for that reason, there

1975-407: The December preceding each season (the ancestor of modern Major League Baseball 's so-called Winter Meetings). Membership mediated by state associations was introduced only after ten years; then dozens of clubs from a distant state could join and remain in the NABBP by organizing a state association whose delegates would participate in the national meeting. In the year following the 1857 convention,

2054-814: The Empire in 1858 and the Eckford in 1870, played matches with member clubs. The members farthest from New York in the early years were the Liberty club of New Brunswick, New Jersey in 1858, the only one of 25 members outside modern New York City; Niagara of Buffalo, New York in 1859, when the next furthest of 50 members was the United club based in Trenton, New Jersey ; and the Detroit club of Detroit , Michigan in 1860, when five of 59 members were from outside adjacent New Jersey and New York states,

2133-605: The General Meade Society of Philadelphia participated in a wreath-laying ceremony at 6th and Lombard Streets in Philadelphia , Pennsylvania. The first OV Catto award was presented that year. To honor the man affectionately called the "19th century Martin Luther King", Mayor Jim Kenney announced on June 10, 2016, that a new sculpture to commemorate Catto and other leaders would be erected outside Philadelphia City Hall. The sculptural group, A Quest for Parity , including

2212-452: The Judges of one of our courts in a similar case, ran the car off the track, detached the horses, and left the colored man to occupy the car all by himself. The colored man still firmly maintains his position in the car, having spent the whole of the night there. The conductor looks upon the part he enacted in the affair as a splendid piece of strategy. The matter creates quite a sensation in

2291-427: The NABBP rejected Pythians has been debated by historians. Most scholars attribute it as racism on the part of the NABBP. Others have cited at this is an oversimplification and that the reason could have been a fear of controversy for admitting a negro team or for financial reasons. Ultimately, this set the precedent for segregated Major Leagues and independent leagues which continued into the twentieth century. Therefore,

2370-462: The Philadelphia area. These men were sent to the front and many saw action. Catto was commissioned as a major in the army but never saw action. On Friday, April 21, 1865, at the State House (Independence Hall) in Philadelphia, Catto presented the regimental flag to Lieutenant Colonel Trippe, commander of the 24th United States Colored Troops . An account of Catto's presentation speech was reported

2449-436: The Pythians challenged various white baseball teams in Philadelphia to games. The Olympic Ball Club accepted the challenge. The first match game between black and white baseball teams took place on September 4, 1869, ending in the Pythians' defeat, 44 to 23. ( New York Times , September 5, 1869) On Election Day , October 10, 1871, Catto was teaching in Philadelphia. Fights broke out in the city between black and white voters, as

Philadelphia Pythians - Misplaced Pages Continue

2528-534: The Pythians' idea of using the baseball to achieve equality. The team was originally known as the Independent Ball Club, a team of the Institute for Colored Youth. Due to the number members who belonged to the Knights of Pythias of North America, South America, Europe, Asia, Africa and Australia , the team was renamed the Pythians. The first full season took place in 1867 under Catto's leadership. Their first game

2607-499: The United States government had to evolve several times in order to change. He understood that the change must come not necessarily for the benefit of African Americans, but more for America's political and industrial welfare. This would be a mutual benefit for all Americans. ... It is for the purpose of promoting, as far as possible, the preparation of the colored man for the assumption of these new relations with intelligence and with

2686-480: The all-white Philadelphia City Items; a historic victory that Catto hoped would prove the capability of African Americans. These game were successful in drawing large crowds and praise from news outlets for the Pythians' respectable play. In the years following the number of games per season was greatly reduced. This was in part due to raising racial tensions. The passage of the Fifteenth Amendment in 1870 led to

2765-402: The assassination of Catto during the election of 1871. The team was unable to continue its efforts without its charismatic leader and folded shortly after. The 1868 season was the most notable for the Pythians. Records of the team's undefeated season show the player roster and the schedule. The team had three separate lineups, also known as a "nine". A handwritten copy of the 1868 roster reveals

2844-445: The black soldier, and the way opened to his promotion. De Tocqueville prophesied that if ever America underwent Revolution, it would be brought about by the presence of the black race, and that it would result from the inequality of their condition. This has been verified. But there is another side to the picture; and while he thought it his duty to keep these things before the public, there are motives of interest founded on our faith in

2923-554: The chances of IMPARTIAL DRAFTS, to fill the depleted ranks of the Union army. Resolved , That while men and women of a Christian community can sit unmoved and in silence, and see women barbarously thrown from the cars, – and while our courts of justice fail to grant us redress for acts committed in violation of the chartered privileges of these railroad companies, – we shall never rest at ease, but will agitate and work, by our means and by our influence, in court and out of court, asking aid of

3002-533: The city's prominent mixed-race DeReef family, which had been free for decades and belonged to the Brown Fellowship Society , a mark of their status. His father, William T. Catto, had been an enslaved millwright in South Carolina who gained his freedom. He was ordained as a Presbyterian minister before taking his family north, first to Baltimore , and then to Philadelphia, where they settled in

3081-453: The club was the first to attempt to integrate African American males into a segregated baseball league. By 1871, the NABBP dissolved and the team was no longer restricted by its rules. Ultimately the U.S. Supreme Court made the decision to sanction racial segregation in United States including baseball, through its 1896 Plessy v. Ferguson decision. Octavius Catto Octavius Valentine Catto (February 22, 1839 – October 10, 1871)

3160-503: The discretion of individual clubs. Besides governing the playing rules and its own organization, the Association established standards for official scoring (reporting), "match" play, a championship, amateurism, and the integrity of the contest (then known as hippodroming ). Following trends in the evolution of the sport, in the 1869 season it accepted professionalism in its ranks. The last convention, held in 1871, with hundreds of members represented only via state associations, provoked

3239-626: The education of African-Americans, in Philadelphia. In 1853, he entered the, otherwise, all-white Allentown Academy in Allentown, New Jersey , located across the Delaware River and 40 miles north. In 1854, when his family returned to Philadelphia, he became a student at that city's Institute for Colored Youth (ICY). Managed by the Society of Friends (Quakers), ICY's curriculum included the classical study of Latin, Greek, geometry, and trigonometry. While

Philadelphia Pythians - Misplaced Pages Continue

3318-486: The election, coupled with the resurgence of the anti-Reconstruction Democratic Party in the city, marked the beginning of a decline in black militancy in 19th-century Philadelphia. Later, after the cemetery was closed down, Catto's remains were reinterred at Eden Cemetery , in Collingdale, Pennsylvania . On June 17, 1878, R. W. Wallace, a biographer of Catto, wrote to the Christian Recorder , questioning why no one

3397-502: The elections were high in tension and parties reflected racial opposition. Black voters, who were mostly Republican , faced intimidation and violence from white voters, especially ethnic Irish , who were partisans of the city's Democratic machine . Irish immigrants had entered the city in great numbers during and after the Great Famine of the 1840s; they competed with free blacks for jobs and housing. City police were called on to quell

3476-445: The era). Twelve clubs, including most of the strongest in the NABBP, ultimately declared themselves professional for the 1869 season. Conflict arose, however, between amateur and professional interests. Important issues included how the championship was to be decided and regulating players jumping from one team to another. As a result, after three years of this experiment, most of the leading professional clubs broke away in 1871 to found

3555-485: The establishment of separate professional and amateur associations. The succeeding National Association of Professional Base Ball Players is considered the first professional sports league ; through 1875 it governed professional baseball and practically set playing rules for all. Because the amateur successor never attracted many members and it convened only a few times, the NABBP is sometimes called "the amateur Association" in contrast to its professional successor. Before

3634-521: The face of some opposition. Catto served as principal and teacher at ICY until his death in 1871. His successor in the position was Richard Theodore Greener . The Civil War increased Catto's activism for abolition and equal rights. He joined with Frederick Douglass and other black leaders to form a Recruitment Committee to sign up black men to fight for the Union and emancipation. After the Confederate invasion of Pennsylvania in 1863, Catto helped raise

3713-507: The first professional league . Dates refer to NABBP membership, not baseball activity or legal organization, but not all clubs retained membership annually; in particular, the Civil War curtailed membership for 1862 to 1865. Newark, New Jersey is one of the cities to the west across the Hudson River from New York City. Eight Newark clubs were sometime members and two more clubs from Newark,

3792-482: The following day in the Christian Recorder : The speaker then paid a tribute to the two hundred thousand blacks, who, in spite of obloquy and the old bane of prejudice , have been nobly fighting our battles, trusting to a redeemed country for the full recognition of their manhood in the future. He thought that in the plan of reconstruction , the votes of the blacks could not be lightly dispensed with. They were

3871-625: The free state of Pennsylvania. The state had gradually abolished slavery , beginning before the end of the Revolutionary War . William T. Catto was a founding member of Philadelphia's Banneker Institute , an African-American intellectual and literary society. He wrote "A Semi-Centenary Discourse," a history of the First African Presbyterian Church in Philadelphia. Catto began his education at Vaux Primary School and then Lombard Grammar School, institutions specifically for

3950-433: The glaring inconsistency and palpable injustice of forcing delicate women and innocent children, by the ruthless hands of ungentlemanly and unprincipled conductors and drivers, to places on the front platform, subjecting to storm and rain, cold and heat, relatives of twelve thousand colored soldiers, whose services these very citizens gladly accepted when the nation was in her hour of trouble, and they seriously entreated, under

4029-427: The grievance of which we complain, and to demonstrate the sincerity of their professions by an interference in our behalf. (Brown 1866) Later enlisting the help of Congressmen Thaddeus Stevens and William D. Kelley , Catto was instrumental in the passage of a Pennsylvania bill that prohibited segregation on transit systems in the state. Publicity about a conductor's being fined who refused to admit Catto's fiancée to

SECTION 50

#1732873543301

4108-636: The handwritten schedule. Furthermore, baseball games at this time could also end in a tie. The Pythians were refused membership in the National Association of Base Ball Players based on their race. Although the Pythians were nominated for membership by the vice-president of the Athletics ball club, E. Hicks Hayhurst, the NABBP banned "the admission of any club which may be composed of one or more colored persons." The association feared divisions among players if colored clubs were admitted. The ultimate reason

4187-510: The hope of aiding black civil liberties and led efforts to gain equality and equal access to public programs. This continued until Catto's murder at the hands of Frank Kelly in 1871. Prior to the American Civil War, professional baseball has been denied to African Americans. Black leaders considered baseball a route to American cultural assimilation , and following the Civil War , Negro baseball grew exponentially. Octavius Catto pioneered

4266-403: The integrity of the game, at its December 1868 meeting the NABBP established a professional category for the coming 1869 season, and clubs who desired to pay players were now free to do so without sanction. Cincinnati's Red Stockings was the first to so declare and was among the most aggressive in recruiting the best available players (as a result of which they became the most dominant club of

4345-475: The intersection of Ninth and South streets, Catto was accosted by Frank Kelly, an ethnic Irish man, who shot him three times. Catto died of his wounds. The city inquest was not able to determine if Catto had pulled his own gun. Kelly was not convicted of assault or murder. Catto's military funeral at Lebanon Cemetery in Passyunk was well-attended. The murder of Catto, an important leader, and violence throughout

4424-528: The knowledge which promises success, that the Institute feels called upon at this time to act with more energy and on a broader scale than has heretofore been required. On January 2, 1865, at a gathering at the National Hall in Philadelphia to celebrate the second anniversary of the Emancipation Proclamation , Catto "delivered a very able address, and one that was a credit to the mind and heart of

4503-503: The majority of which were not Association members. For example, on the eve of the Civil War there were no fewer than seven baseball teams in distant New Orleans , none of which belonged to the NABBP; a tabulation by historian Richard Herschberger turned up over 900 baseball clubs by 1860, in which year the Association's membership stood at 60. The NABBP was initially established upon principles of amateurism . However, even early in its history some star players, such as James Creighton of

4582-561: The nation's honor, to act in this strife. Freedom has rapidly advanced since the firing on Sumter ; and since the Genius of Liberty has directed the war, we have gone from victory to victory. Soldiers! Accept this flag on behalf of the citizens of Philadelphia. I know too well the mettle of your pasture, that you will not dishonor it. Keep before your eyes the noble deeds of your fellows at Port Hudson , Fort Wagner , and on other historic fields. Desert them not. Accept, Colonel, this flag on behalf of

4661-545: The neighborhood where the car is standing, and crowds of sympathizers flock around the colored man. A meeting of the Union League of Philadelphia was held in Sansom Street Hall on Thursday, June 21, 1866, to protest and denounce the forcible ejection of several black women from Philadelphia's street cars. At this meeting, Catto presented the following resolutions: Resolved , That we earnestly and unitedly protest against

4740-486: The number of clubs in the association increased from 16 to 25, and had reached 50 by spring 1859. Below are listed the 16 original members, followed by the only three who survived to become charter members of the new National League of Professional Base Ball Clubs (later known simply as the "National League") in 1876. The five named in bold continued as sometime members of the 1871–1875 National Association , (the second of two successive "National Associations") considered

4819-792: The old Boston Braves . The Braves joined the National League in 1876, became the Milwaukee Braves in 1953, and finally the Atlanta Braves in 1966; in this way, the Braves also claim to be descendants of the Red Stockings. Another team that claims lineage from the NABBP is the Buffalo Bisons , currently a minor league ("Triple A") baseball squad that counts the Niagara club as a predecessor. Like

SECTION 60

#1732873543301

4898-564: The only unqualified friends of the Union in the South . In the impressive language written on this flag, "Let Soldiers in War be Citizens in Peace," the Banks policy may plant the seed of another revolution. Our statesmen will have to take care lest they prove neither so good nor wise under the seductions of mild-eyed peace, as heretofore, amidst the tumults of grim-visaged war. Merit should also be recognised in

4977-652: The other four being further south in Washington, D.C. , Baltimore , and to the northeast in New Haven , and Boston . Six Philadelphia clubs joined for 1861 but the coming war curtailed the season; some of the 55 members never played a game of any kind. Then the war curtailed membership for 1862 until 1866 when some pre-war members rejoined. For 1865 there were only 30 members with not one in New England and western outliers merely in Washington, Altoona in southwestern Pennsylvania , and Utica in central New York state . But

5056-812: The players for each lineup. The schedule also shows their non-league games and scores. First Nine: Jefferson Cavens (First Basemen), John Cannon (Pitcher), Frank J.R. Jones (Third Basemen), John Graham (Outfielder/Catcher), James Sparrow (Shortstop), Spencer Hanly (Outfielder/Catcher), Joshua Adkins (Third Basemen), Octavius V. Catto (Second Baseman/Shortstop/Captain) Second Nine: Raymond J. Burr, Andrew J. Jones, Frederick Walker, Richard E.F., David Knight, Edwin C. Vidal, Charles M. Thomas, James Ash, Henry Price, James Jenkins Third Nine John H. Davis, Joseph J. Minton, William T. Jones, Jacob C. White, Jr., Harry Francis, Edward M. Bassett, William H. Minton, Henry Boyer, Thomas Jones, Jacob R. Ballard, Thaddeus Manning 1868 Schedule Note: The team names are as they appear on

5135-547: The press, calling upon Christians to vindicate their Christianity, and the members of the law to assert the principles of the profession by granting us justice and right, until these invidious and unjust usages shall have ceased. Resolved , That we do solemnly pledge ourselves to assist by our means any suit brought against the perpetrators of outrages such as those, the occurrence of which has convened this meeting; and we respectfully call upon our liberal-minded and friendly white fellow-citizens to cease to remain silent witnesses of

5214-588: The proscription which excludes us from the city cars, as an outrage against the enlightened civilization of the age. Resolved , That we cannot discover any reason based upon good sense or common justice for the continuance of a practice which has long ceased to disgrace democratic New York, Washington, St. Louis , Harrisburg and other cities, whose pledges of fidelity to the principles of freedom and civil liberty have not been so frequent as have been those of our own city. Resolved , That, with feelings of sorrow rather than pride, we remind our white fellow-citizens of

5293-432: The racial shift in baseball. Many of the players were also Institute for Colored Youth graduates. These men belonged to the Knights of Pythias of North America, South America, Europe, Asia, Africa and Australia , an African American fraternal organization , which helped pay for baseball supplies. A third, lesser-known founding member was William Still . Still was a local coal dealer and civil rights activist; this played into

5372-806: The regiment, and may God bless you and them. In November 1864, Catto was elected to be the Corresponding Secretary of the Pennsylvania Equal Rights League. He also served as Vice President of the State Convention of Colored People held in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania , in February 1865. ( Liberator March 3, 1865: 35). Catto fought for the desegregation of Philadelphia's trolley car system, along with his fiancée Caroline LeCount and abolitionist William Still . The May 18, 1865, issue of

5451-477: The score to the end of the last completed inning and awarded the game, and thus the championship, to Chicago . The Mutual club declared itself champion. End of Year Champions The won–lost–tied records compiled by Marshall Wright (2000) are not consistently limited to matches between NABBP members. The Chicago Cubs , who played their first season in the NABBP in 1870 as the Chicago White Stockings,

5530-431: The separate National Association of Professional Base Ball Players (NAPBBP). The earlier NABBP continued for about two more years with a more diminished status before disbanding into state and regional aggregations. Contrary to the organization name, NABBP members were clubs, not individual players. Generally the clubs joined the association and retained membership by sending delegates to the annual convention, usually in

5609-516: The speaker." In 1869, Bassett left ICY when he was appointed ambassador to Haiti . Catto lobbied to succeed Bassett as principal; however, the ICY board chose Catto's fellow teacher, Fanny Jackson Coppin , as head of the school. Catto was elected as the principal of the ICY's male department. In 1870, Catto joined the Franklin Institute , a center for science and education whose white leaders supported Catto's membership despite his race, in

5688-610: The strongest team never played a series for the championship, including at least Athletic of Philadelphia in 1868 and the Cincinnati Red Stockings in 1869. The latter were undefeated, with victories over all of the leading clubs (including ultimate 1868 and 1869 champions Mutual and Atlantic), but they never faced a reigning champion in a deciding game, partly because in scheduling tours of continental scope they practically opted out. Decisive games were also marred by disputes. In 1860, reigning champion Atlantic of Brooklyn and challenger Excelsior of Brooklyn split their first two games. In

5767-468: The third, Excelsior was leading, 8–6, and had men on base, but chose to withdraw because of rowdy behavior by Atlantic partisans and gamblers. The game was declared a draw, and the championship retained by Atlantic. In 1870, Mutual of New York was leading, 13–12, in the deciding game of its series with the Chicago White Stockings when Mutual left the field in protest. Officials decided to revert

5846-414: The violence. Instead, often ethnic Irish themselves, they exacerbated the problems, using their power to prevent black citizens from voting. A Lieutenant Haggerty was later arrested for having encouraged police under his command to keep African Americans from voting. On his way to vote, Catto was intermittently harassed by whites. Police reports indicate that he had purchased a revolver for protection. At

5925-501: Was active not just in the public arenas of education and equal rights, but also on the sporting field. Like many other young men of Philadelphia, both white and black, Catto began playing cricket while in school, as it was a British tradition. Later he took up the American sport of baseball . Following the Civil War, he helped establish Philadelphia as a major hub of what became Negro league baseball . Along with Jacob C. White, Jr., he ran

6004-462: Was an American educator, intellectual, and civil rights activist. He became principal of male students at the Institute for Colored Youth , where he had also been educated. Born free in Charleston, South Carolina , in a prominent mixed-race family, he moved north as a boy with his family. After completing his education, he went into teaching, and became active in civil rights. He also became known as

6083-490: Was elected full member and Recording Secretary of the Banneker Institute . He also was hired as teacher of English and mathematics at the ICY. On May 10, 1864, Catto delivered ICY's commencement address, which gave a historical synopsis of the school. In addition, Catto's address touched on the issue of the potential lack of sensitivity of white teachers toward the needs and interests of African-American students: It

6162-582: Was played at Diamond Cottage Park in Camden, New Jersey , because the team could not gain access to the Parade Grounds at 11th and Wharton in Philadelphia. The team played their home games at Fairmount Park , but they used Liberty Hall of the Institute for Colored Youth as their club house. This is where the team met to socialize and plan game strategies. The Pythians believed that credibility and acceptance could be promoted by competing against "our white brethren" on

6241-462: Was taking care of Catto's grave: Can you inform me through your paper, why there is no care taken of Prof. O. V. Catto's grave? I have recently been down to the Cemetery and was surprised to see its condition. Thousands of people have asked me about the same thing, and, when I am compelled to say there is no sign of any stone to his grave, while both white and colored stand ready to help in the matter, it

#300699